Deer numbers behind 2012 so far

Thursday

Illinois deer hunters killed a preliminary total of 55,708 deer during the first segment of the Illinois firearm deer-hunting season Nov. 22-24.

The second half of the season will be held Dec. 5-8.

This year’s opening weekend lags behind the 72,111 deer taken during the first half of the 2012 firearm season.

Hunters killed a total of 99,546 deer during the full seven-day firearm season last year.

Paul Shelton, forest wildlife program manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said cold and windy weather likely had an effect on hunter success.

“Weather conditions were difficult throughout most of the season, with some parts of the state seeing rain or snow, and virtually everywhere getting a taste of high winds and frigid temperatures,” Shelton wrote in a news release announcing the results.

The top counties for the first weekend were Pike (1,535), Jackson (1,526), Randolph (1,436), Fulton (1,409) and Adams (1,393).

In Sangamon County, hunters killed a preliminary total of 393, compared with 644 deer taken last year.

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